Last month, DC unveiled the first wave of its upcoming Next Level initiative that was first teased at New York Comic Con back in October. Today the publisher announced two new titles debuting in April, including Jeff Lemire and Rafael De Latorre on The Fury of Firestorm and Jamal Campbell on a new Zatanna ongoing series
Arriving first is The Fury of Firestorm on April 1. Here’s the solicit text and cover info:
The community of Bedford, Colorado, is a sleepy small town. The people say hello to their neighbors, attend town hall meetings, and root for the local high school football team on Friday nights. But this idyllic small town is thrown upside down when the Nuclear Man arrives and starts…experimenting. Firestorm has turned buildings to sand and people to glass with no remorse and no warning. But what exactly provoked Ronnie Raymond to commit this heinous act, and can anyone contain the fury that is Firestorm?
Brought to you by the acclaimed team of Jeff Lemire (Absolute Flash, JSA) and Rafael De Latorre (The Penguin), this explosive new series ignites the next major chapter of DC’s Next Level line.
The Fury of Firestorm #1 includes open-to-order card stock variants by Chris Burnham and Riley Rossmo, priced at $4.99 US ($3.99 US main; $6.99 US foil). Lemire provides a 1:25 incentive variant, while Burnham’s cover will also be available as an open-to-order foil edition. A DC: Next Level variant by Jorge Corona and a blank sketch cover round out the assortment.
Next up is Zatanna arriving on April 29 from writer/artist Jamal Campbell. After an acclaimed miniseries last year that hinted at more stories to come, this announcement isn’t a total surprise for fans.
Zatanna Zatara embarks on her greatest tour yet! As the newest and first Prime Magus in millennia, it is now Zatanna’s sworn responsibility to oversee and guide the world of magic. All eyes are on her.
How will she accomplish this grand task? How will she shoulder this heaviest of responsibilities? How will she confront the horrors waiting in forgotten histories? With a wink, a flourish, and a whole lot of magic!
All-star writer/artist Jamal Campbell (Superman, Zatanna: It’s Showtime) returns to the character for an encore performance after his 2025 limited comic book series with DC’s mistress of magic, launching Zatanna into a new ongoing series!
Zatanna #1 features open‑to‑order card stock variants by Adam Hughes and Kyuyong Eom, priced at $4.99 US ($3.99 US main; $6.99 US foil). Julian Totino Tedesco contributes a 1:25 incentive variant, while Hughes’s cover will also be offered as an open‑to‑order foil edition. A Next Level variant by Jorge Corona and a blank sketch cover complete the lineup.
As before, DC also teased other characters and creators involved with the Next Level lineup:
DC NEXT LEVEL, part of the second act of DC ALL IN, is a new publishing initiative spotlighting characters like Batwoman, Deathstroke, The Demon, Firestorm, Lobo, Barbara Gordon, Zatanna, the Teen Titans, and more. The creative roster includes Jeff Lemire, Greg Rucka, Javier Rodríguez, Jamal Campbell, Skottie Young, Mariko Tamaki, James Harren, Kyle Higgins, Joshua Williamson, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Michael Walsh, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Rafael De Latorre, Jorge Corona, Tony Fleecs, Amancay Nahuelpan, Deniz Camp, DaNi, and others.
It always surprised me that DC doesn’t coordinate releases like this with DC’s Finest books. Firestorm hasn’t really been in the spotlight for years. A DCF of the original series would cross-promote well with the new monthly. Same was true with Resurrection Man and Quantum Karma, or Captain Adam and the Jenny Sparks series or the Atom Project.